Liverpool looks to continue its surge into title contention when it visits Craven Cottage today, with last-place Fulham welcoming the Reds for a 3:00 p.m. ET kickoff (available to stream at NBC Sports Live Extra).
After their weekend trouncing of Arsenal, Liverpool come into the day’s match seven points back of first-place Chelsea. With stumbles by Arsenal and Manchester City (postponed), the Reds could finish the day within four points of the Premier League’s top spot, should they win in West London. And if Luis Suárez, Daniel Sturridge, and Raheem Sterling can reproduce the five goals they scored Saturday against the Gunners, Liverpool will pull even with City for the league’s scoring lead (68 goals).
Though Fulham are coming off a draw at Old Trafford, the Cottagers record suggests they’ll have a difficult time stopping their turbocharged guests. Having conceded 55 times this season, Fulham brings the league’s worst defense into today’s game, their -31 goal difference six behind the league’s next-worst team. Allowing two more goals on Sunday, René Meulensteen’s team gave up 31 shots to the Red Devils and were fortunate to leave Stretford with a point.
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Fulham’s one saving grace may be Liverpool’s road record, with the Reds having won only four of their 12 away matches this season. Unfortunately for the home side, the Cottagers have claimed only three wins at home this season, scoring 14 times in the 12 games at Craven Cottage.
Fulham will be without new signing Kostas Mitroglou, still recovering from a knee injury. Defender Fernando Amorebieta will join him on the sidelines.
Liverpool receives a boost with defender Daniel Agger fit enough to make the bench, though Jose Enrique, Glen Johnson, Mamadou Sakho, and Lucas Leiva remain out. Joao Carlos Teixeira could make his first senior appearance, named to Rodgers’ bench for the first time.
LINEUPS
Fulham: Stekelenburg; Riether, Heitinga, Burn, Riise; Tunnicliffe, Sidwell, Kvist, Richardson; Holtby, Bent
Subs: Hangeland, Kasami, Kacaniklic, Stockdale, Duff, Cole, Parker
Liverpool: Mignolet; Flanaga, Skrtel, Touré, Cissohko; Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling, Suárez, Sturridge
Subs: Jones, Agger, Kelly, Allen, Moses, Teixera, Aspas